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1 – 10 of 25Fabian Akkerman, Eduardo Lalla-Ruiz, Martijn Mes and Taco Spitters
Cross-docking is a supply chain distribution and logistics strategy for which less-than-truckload shipments are consolidated into full-truckload shipments. Goods are stored up to…
Abstract
Cross-docking is a supply chain distribution and logistics strategy for which less-than-truckload shipments are consolidated into full-truckload shipments. Goods are stored up to a maximum of 24 hours in a cross-docking terminal. In this chapter, we build on the literature review by Ladier and Alpan (2016), who reviewed cross-docking research and conducted interviews with cross-docking managers to find research gaps and provide recommendations for future research. We conduct a systematic literature review, following the framework by Ladier and Alpan (2016), on cross-docking literature from 2015 up to 2020. We focus on papers that consider the intersection of research and industry, e.g., case studies or studies presenting real-world data. We investigate whether the research has changed according to the recommendations of Ladier and Alpan (2016). Additionally, we examine the adoption of Industry 4.0 practices in cross-docking research, e.g., related to features of the physical internet, the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems in cross-docking methodologies or case studies. We conclude that only small adaptations have been done based on the recommendations of Ladier and Alpan (2016), but we see growing attention for Industry 4.0 concepts in cross-docking, especially for physical internet hubs.
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Bailey Peterson-Wilhelm, Lawton Nalley, Alvaro Durand-Morat, Aaron Shew, Francis Tsiboe and Willy Mulimbi
Weaknesses in the grades and standards system in low-income countries across Sub-Saharan Africa undermine the transparency of agricultural markets. In the Democratic Republic of…
Abstract
Purpose
Weaknesses in the grades and standards system in low-income countries across Sub-Saharan Africa undermine the transparency of agricultural markets. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana and Mozambique rice is predominately sold in open bags and if rice price does not reflect its quality, then inefficiencies may lead to consumer welfare losses. Importantly, it is possible that impoverished communities are priced out of the market due to inflated and inefficient prices. The objective of this study is to examine determinates of rice price by estimating the impact of selected rice quality attributes on rice prices in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana and Mozambique.
Design/methodology/approach
We collected 363 rice samples from open air markets in Bukavu (DRC), Nampula (Mozambique) and across Ghana in 2019. Each rice sample was analyzed in a food science lab for the quality attributes: percentage of chalk and brokens, chalk impact, length and length-to-width ratio. We used multiple regression analysis to estimate if and to what extent quality attributes were the drivers of price.
Findings
Findings suggest that there are irregularities in the Ghanaian market for broken rice and that regardless of quality, imported rice is priced higher than domestic rice. In the DRC and Mozambique, our results indicate price is driven by length and length-to-width ratio in the former and length-to-width ratio in the latter.
Research limitations/implications
Rice samples were purchased from market vendors and thus consumer preferences for attributes were not revealed.
Originality/value
These results provide valuable insight to policymakers regarding the need for proper labeling and regulation of open bag rice sales in an effort to increase consumer welfare and improve food security.
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Chunlan Li, Jun Wang, Min Liu, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Qian Gong, Richa Hu, Shan Yin and Yuhai Bao
Extreme high temperatures are a significant feature of global climate change and have become more frequent and intense in recent years. These pose a significant threat to both…
Abstract
Purpose
Extreme high temperatures are a significant feature of global climate change and have become more frequent and intense in recent years. These pose a significant threat to both human health and economic activity, and thus are receiving increasing research attention. Understanding the hazards posed by extreme high temperatures are important for selecting intervention measures targeted at reducing socioeconomic and environmental damage.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, detrended fluctuation analysis is used to identify extreme high-temperature events, based on homogenized daily minimum and maximum temperatures from nine meteorological stations in a major grassland region, Hulunbuir, China, over the past 56 years.
Findings
Compared with the commonly used functions, Weibull distribution has been selected to simulate extreme high-temperature scenarios. It has been found that there was an increasing trend of extreme high temperature, and in addition, the probability of its indices increased significantly, with regional differences. The extreme high temperatures in four return periods exhibited an extreme low hazard in the central region of Hulunbuir, and increased from the center to the periphery. With the increased length of the return period, the area of high hazard and extreme high hazard increased. Topography and anomalous atmospheric circulation patterns may be the main factors influencing the occurrence of extreme high temperatures.
Originality/value
These results may contribute to a better insight in the hazard of extreme high temperatures, and facilitate the development of appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies to cope with the adverse effects.
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The purpose of this study is to explore the causal relationship between smart transportation technology innovation and green transportation efficiency.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the causal relationship between smart transportation technology innovation and green transportation efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive framework is used in this paper to assess the level of green transportation efficiency in China based on the instrumental variable – generalized method of moments model, followed by an examination of the impact of innovation in smart transportation technology on green transportation efficiency. Additionally, their non-linear relationship is explored, as are their important moderating and mediating effects.
Findings
The findings indicate that, first, the efficiency of green transportation is significantly enhanced by innovation in smart transportation technology, which means that investing in such technologies contributes to improving green transportation efficiency. Second, in areas where green transportation efficiency is initially low, smart transportation technology innovation exerts a particularly potent influence in driving green transportation efficiency, which underscores the pivotal role of such innovation in bolstering efficiency when it is lacking. Third, the relationship between smart transportation technology innovation and green transportation efficiency is moderated by information and communication technology, and the influence of smart transportation technology innovation on green transportation efficiency is realized through an increase in energy efficiency and carbon emissions efficiency.
Originality/value
Advancing green transportation is essential in establishing a low-carbon trajectory within the transportation sector.
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Studies addressing rural residents’ understanding of global warming and their willingness to pay higher prices to mitigate it are very limited. The purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Studies addressing rural residents’ understanding of global warming and their willingness to pay higher prices to mitigate it are very limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the general understanding and attitudes of rural residents in China regarding global warming and their willingness to pay higher prices to mitigate it.
Design/methodology/approach
This study surveyed 1,185 rural residents in three counties of coastal, middle and western China. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to reveal the relationships between the willingness to pay higher prices to mitigate global warming and influencing factors.
Findings
The majority of respondents had heard of global warming; however, their knowledge of the phenomenon and its causes was very limited. Most respondents admitted the likelihood of risks from global warming. Although most respondents thought they had an obligation to mitigate global warming, only a small percentage of them were willing to pay higher prices to address the problem; the unwillingness of respondents to pay higher prices to mitigate global warming may have been associated with their low income and perceived inability to handle the cost, externalisation of responsibility and causes and lack of knowledge of how to affect it.
Originality/value
This study examines the general understanding and attitudes of rural residents in China regarding global warming and their willingness to pay higher prices to mitigate it. The research is conducive to climate change communications and the implementation of climate policies in China’s rural areas.
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With increasing marine resource development, the rapid development of the marine economy, and the continuous decline of the marine natural resource system, the contradiction…
Abstract
Purpose
With increasing marine resource development, the rapid development of the marine economy, and the continuous decline of the marine natural resource system, the contradiction between marine resources and economic development is becoming increasingly acute. The study of marine resources and economic development has become a hot and challenging issue in marine resource economics research in recent years. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current situation of marine resources and to realize the sustainable use of marine resources.
Design/methodology/approach
This study systematically reviews and analyzes the current status of research on marine resources and economic development issues in four main aspects: marine resource management, marine resources and economic growth, marine resources and economic security, and marine resource accounting in the field of marine resource economics.
Findings
It is found that compared to the current status of research on land-based resources and economic development, there is a significant lag in both theoretical construction and methodological innovation in marine resources and economic development.
Originality/value
The purpose of this study is to systematically grasp the current status of marine resources research, promote the coordinated development of marine resources and economic growth, and then realize the safe and sustainable development and utilization of marine resources.
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Tamoor Khan, Jiangtao Qiu, Ameen Banjar, Riad Alharbey, Ahmed Omar Alzahrani and Rashid Mehmood
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impacts on production of five fruit crops from 1961 to 2018 of energy use, CO2 emissions, farming areas and the labor force in China.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impacts on production of five fruit crops from 1961 to 2018 of energy use, CO2 emissions, farming areas and the labor force in China.
Design/methodology/approach
This analysis applied the autoregressive distributed lag-bound testing (ARDL) approach, Granger causality method and Johansen co-integration test to predict long-term co-integration and relation between variables. Four machine learning methods are used for prediction of the accuracy of climate effect on fruit production.
Findings
The Johansen test findings have shown that the fruit crop growth, energy use, CO2 emissions, harvested land and labor force have a long-term co-integration relation. The outcome of the long-term use of CO2 emission and rural population has a negative influence on fruit crops. The energy consumption, harvested area, total fruit yield and agriculture labor force have a positive influence on six fruit crops. The long-run relationships reveal that a 1% increase in rural population and CO2 will decrease fruit crop production by −0.59 and −1.97. The energy consumption, fruit harvested area, total fruit yield and agriculture labor force will increase fruit crop production by 0.17%, 1.52%, 1.80% and 4.33%, respectively. Furthermore, uni-directional causality is correlated with the growth of fruit crops and energy consumption. Also, the results indicate that the bi-directional causality impact varies from CO2 emissions to agricultural areas to fruit crops.
Originality/value
This study also fills the literature gap in implementing ARDL for agricultural fruits of China, used machine learning methods to examine the impact of climate change and to explore this important issue.
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Faiza Ahsan, Abbas Ali Chandio and Wang Fang
This paper aims to examine the effects of CO2 emissions, energy consumption, cultivated area and the labour force on the production of cereal crops in Pakistan from the period…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effects of CO2 emissions, energy consumption, cultivated area and the labour force on the production of cereal crops in Pakistan from the period 1971-2014.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the Johansen cointegration test, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach and Granger causality test to estimate the long-run cointegration and direction of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.
Findings
The outcomes of the Johansen cointegration test confirmed the existence of a long-term cointegrating relationship between the production of cereal crops, CO2 emissions, energy consumption, cultivated area and the labour force. The results of the long-run coefficients of CO2 emissions, energy consumption, cultivated area and labour force have a positive impact on cereal crops production. The long-run relationships reveal that a 1 per cent increase in CO2 emissions, energy consumption, cultivated area and labour force will increase cereal crops production by 0.20, 0.11, 0.56 and 0.74 per cent, respectively. Moreover, the findings show that there is a bidirectional causality running from CO2 emissions and cultivated area to cereal crops production. Moreover, there is a unidirectional causality running from energy consumption to cereal crops production.
Originality/value
The present study also fills the literature gap for applying the ARDL procedure to examine this relevant issue for Pakistan.
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Weicheng Guo, Chongjun Wu, Xiankai Meng, Chao Luo and Zhijian Lin
Molecular dynamics is an emerging simulation technique in the field of machining in recent years. Many researchers have tried to simulate different processing methods of various…
Abstract
Purpose
Molecular dynamics is an emerging simulation technique in the field of machining in recent years. Many researchers have tried to simulate different processing methods of various materials with the theory of molecular dynamics (MD), and some preliminary conclusions have been obtained. However, the application of MD simulation is more limited compared with traditional finite element model (FEM) simulation technique due to the complex modeling approach and long computation time. Therefore, more studies on the MD simulations are required to provide a reliable theoretical basis for the nanoscale interpretation of grinding process. This study investigates the crystal structures, dislocations, force, temperature and subsurface damage (SSD) in the grinding of iron-nickel alloy using MD analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study the simulation model is established on the basis of the workpiece and single cubic boron nitride (CBN) grit with embedded atom method and Morse potentials describing the forces and energies between different atoms. The effects of grinding parameters on the material microstructure are studied based on the simulation results.
Findings
When CBN grit goes through one of the grains, the arrangement of atoms within the grain will be disordered, but other grains will not be easily deformed due to the protection of the grain boundaries. Higher grinding speed and larger cutting depth can cause greater impact of grit on the atoms, and more body-centered cubic (BCC) structures will be destroyed. The dislocations will appear in grain boundaries due to the rearrangement of atoms in grinding. The increase of grinding speed results in the more transformation from BCC to amorphous structures.
Originality/value
This study is aimed to study the grinding of Fe-Ni alloy (maraging steel) with single grit through MD simulation method, and to reveal the microstructure evolution within the affected range of SSD layer in the workpiece. The simulation model of polycrystalline structure of Fe-Ni maraging steel and grinding process of single CBN grit is constructed based on the Voronoi algorithm. The atomic accumulation, transformation of crystal structures, evolution of dislocations as well as the generation of SSD are discussed according to the simulation results.
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Saad Ahmed Javed, Yu Bo, Liangyan Tao and Wenjie Dong
Global supply chains experienced unprecedented changes in 2020 and the relationship between domestic and global markets needed adjustments considering the long-term impacts of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Global supply chains experienced unprecedented changes in 2020 and the relationship between domestic and global markets needed adjustments considering the long-term impacts of the changes that are unfolding around these markets. China has become the first country to announce a formal strategy – “Dual Circulation” Strategy (DCS) – to guide its self-reliant economic development in the post-COVID era. However, what exactly is the DCS and what drove China to publicize this strategy is not yet clear. This study aims to answer these questions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an extensive review of literature and media reports, a background has been constructed that justifies the DCS as a long-overdue historic necessity.
Findings
A novel definition of “Dual Circulation” is introduced. A novel construct to visualize the domestic circulation in light of international and domestic markets and international circulation has been presented. The study argues that maintaining optimum levels of consumption and saving rates is crucial to the DCS’s success.
Originality/value
The study pioneers the first scientific definition of the “Dual Circulation” that will pave way for future debate on the topic. Also, it is the first time an academic study on the DCS has been executed.
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